A witty, fast-paced mystery that balances clever sleuthing with heartfelt moments.
In this second series entry, Black seventh grader Opal Watson is busy trying to locate a missing bird and solve a century-old mystery.
Opal is hoping to track down more information about a woman whose photo appeared in a clipping from the notable African American newspaper the Chicago Defender. Her name was Maude Watson, and she was an agent who disappeared in 1905; Opal believes she may be a long-lost relative. Trying to crack codes and ciphers left by Maude puts all her skills to the test, and she must rely on her friends and parents for help. Before long, she also finds herself entangled in exposing a possible bird-smuggling ring: Blizzard, an unusual bird belonging to Piper, the sister of Opal’s former bully, Jake, was taken from her birdcage. Opal lives with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, but she refuses to let it stop her sleuthing. She makes use of her trusty cane, Pinkerton, and the app designed by her mother for identifying items in low-light conditions. Thurman’s writing is witty and humorous, but she also addresses forgotten history and serious topics like bullying and self-doubt. The story moves at a brisk pace, keeping the momentum going as clues surface and puzzles come together. Themes of forgiveness and collaboration emerge as Opal navigates her complicated feelings toward Jake, while also experiencing moments of longing for Meme Augustine, her beloved grandmother who lives in New Orleans.
A witty, fast-paced mystery that balances clever sleuthing with heartfelt moments. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780063326545
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Funny and endearing, though incomplete characterizations provoke questions.
An isolated class of misfits and a teacher on the edge of retirement are paired together for a year of (supposed) failure.
Zachary Kermit, a 55-year-old teacher, has been haunted for the last 27 years by a student cheating scandal that has earned him the derision of his colleagues and killed his teaching spirit. So when he is assigned to teach the Self-Contained Special Eighth-Grade Class—a dumping ground for “the Unteachables,” students with “behavior issues, learning problems, juvenile delinquents”—he is unfazed, as he is only a year away from early retirement. His relationship with his seven students—diverse in temperament, circumstance, and ability—will be one of “uncomfortable roommates” until June. But when Mr. Kermit unexpectedly stands up for a student, the kids of SCS-8 notice his sense of “justice and fairness.” Mr. Kermit finds he may even care a little about them, and they start to care back in their own way, turning a corner and bringing along a few ghosts from Mr. Kermit’s past. Writing in the alternating voices of Mr. Kermit, most of his students, and two administrators, Korman spins a narrative of redemption and belief in exceeding self-expectations. Naming conventions indicate characters of different ethnic backgrounds, but the book subscribes to a white default. The two students who do not narrate may be students of color, and their characterizations subtly—though arguably inadequately—demonstrate the danger of preconceptions.
Funny and endearing, though incomplete characterizations provoke questions. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-256388-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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